4 Minnesota Vikings Coach Dennis Green is putting all his eggs in the basket of young, strong-armed quarterback Daunte Culpepper

Daunte Culpepper had scarcely completed his drop-back before thepocket collapsed, forcing him to hurry a throw that a Chiefscornerback picked off. Because the 23-year-old Culpepper hasnever thrown a regular-season pass, such mistakes are to beexpected. What was unexpected was the next decision he made inthe informal scrimmage. Surveying the defense and recognizing aformation he didn't like, Culpepper changed the call from a saferun to a quick slant. He threw a strike but didn't celebrate thecompletion. He was too busy being--however unbelievably--theVikings' starting quarterback, and NFL starting quarterbacksdon't exult at well-executed audibles in August.

"When Daunte made that call I thought, We've got something here,"says wideout Matthew Hatchette. "He showed a lot of poise andunderstanding. Every day he looks more like a veteran." Severalteammates echo Hatchette's view and attest to Culpepper'smaturity or his athleticism or his moxie, while coach and generalmanager Dennis Green expresses his utter comfort with Culpepperat the controls. "I absolutely think he's ready for what we'reasking of him," says Green.

But then Culpepper has to be ready, because Green failed to signan alternative in the off-season. First he cut loose RandallCunningham, runner-up in the 1998 NFL MVP voting, then he balkedat keeping Jeff George, who won nine of 12 starts last season.Only after his flirtation with Dan Marino went nowhere did Greengo after George, who instead signed with the Redskins. Even forGreen, who's prone to making enigmatic personnel decisions,banking on Culpepper smacks of desperation. A team that two yearsago went 15-1 and that still possesses a talented core of skillplayers is in the hands of an untested second-year man. "This iswhy we drafted him when we did [No. 11 in 1999]," says Green. "Hewill succeed. Randall came here and flourished. Didn't Jeff havehis best year as a starter last year? I have faith in oursystem."

Indeed, in Green's eight years as coach the Vikings have neverfinished with a losing record. In seven of those seasons theyhave gone to the playoffs--with six starting quarterbacks. Withwideouts Cris Carter and Randy Moss, a blossoming third receiverin Hatchette and former Pro Bowl running back Robert Smith,Culpepper will have a supporting cast few first-year startershave enjoyed. "It's nice knowing those guys are there if I get introuble," says Culpepper. "But I was surprised I didn't play lastyear, to be honest. I feel like I belong with these guys,talentwise. I know I do."

Based upon his career at Central Florida, where he threw for11,412 yards, broke 30 school records and set the NCAAsingle-season completion-percentage mark (73.6), Culpepper'squiet confidence seems reasonable. Moreover, Culpepper is aphysical marvel: At 6'4" and 265 pounds he is perhaps the biggestNFL quarterback ever. With his size, strong arm and mobility, heis often compared to the Titans' Steve McNair, who held aclipboard for two years, then ran an ultraconservative offensefor two seasons before leading Tennessee to the Super Bowl lastJanuary. Minnesota, however, can't afford such a leisurelytimetable. "I know we'll be expected to win," says Culpepper."That's fine. That's not pressure."

In a way he's right: Pressure on Culpepper will come on thefield, where defenses--looking to neutralize the Vikings' superbintermediate and deep passing routes--are certain to blitz himrelentlessly. Their job was made easier after center Jeff Christyand guard Randall McDaniel signed with the Bucs. Perhaps sensingimpending chaos, Culpepper spent 10 weeks in Boca Raton, Fla.,during the off-season sharpening his timing with Carter, Moss andHatchette. Carter came away cautiously optimistic. "I believeDaunte can do it," he says. "How fast he learns and how much hewants to work, those things are up to him. But I believe he'sgoing to be a great quarterback."

Following an afternoon practice at the team's Mankato, Minn.,training camp, as the players trudged through the hordes ofautograph hounds that lined the path to the locker room, onlyMoss was more sought after than Culpepper. Each time thequarterback stopped, a screaming frenzy ensued, until finally hehad to go: Meetings, a quick dinner and more meetings awaited.

As he was stepping into the locker room, two kids pleaded withhim to return. After a long moment, Culpepper--wearing anapologetic half grin--did just that and signed the wide-eyed boys'hats, shook their hands and posed for pictures with them.

In doing so Culpepper looked every bit a gracious, civic-mindedNFL star. Maybe Carter and Green and the rest are right. Maybe hewill be great someday. Then again, defenses won't be as easilyimpressed as a couple of eight-year-olds.

--J.E.

COLOR PHOTO: VINCENT MUZIK UNTESTED The 265-pound Culpepper is the biggest starting signal-caller in the NFL, but he's also the most inexperienced one.COLOR PHOTO: BRUCE KLUCKHOHN

When Linda Wong asked her son to help her write The Mom's PocketGuide to Watching Football by providing descriptions of thepositions, Mom was going to an expert: Kailee Wong lined up atstrongside linebacker, both defensive ends and on special teamsin his first two years. "Mainly, I helped her with the language,"he says. "I kept it in layman's terms." Last season Minnesota'sdefense, in just such terms, stank. Wong, who moves to middlelinebacker this year, is expected to bolster a defense thatranked 27th in 1999. "We're sick of being known as just anoffensive powerhouse," he says. "Things will be better thisyear."

[1] New acquisition (R) Rookie (statistics for final collegeyear) *PVR: Player Value Ranking (explanation on page 139)[*]1998 college statistics

THE BOOK an opposing team's scout sizes up the Vikings

"I really like Daunte Culpepper. If they bring him alongcarefully, I think he'll play adequately. He doesn't getflustered. He can take a hit. And he's got a big arm that Ithink can be accurate enough because Denny Green is going to puthim into situations where he can succeed. Plus, they've got thebullets. Two great receivers, even with Cris Carter getting old,a very good all-purpose back and two excellent tackles will helphim loads.... They'll miss Jeff Christy at center more thanthey'll miss Randall McDaniel at guard--in part because MattBirk, the new center, is just another guy.... They're going tohave to score 30 points a game because their defense won't stopanyone. Their draft confused me. Tony Williams is one of theirfive best players on defense, a good bookend tackle for JohnRandle. Then their top draft pick was Chris Hovan, who theypicked to move Williams out.... Dwayne Rudd was super two yearsago, but he got banged up last year and struggled because of thedouble-team attention he got.... Randle's Randle. Too bad he hasto carry so much of the weight himself."